Gran's Cooking

Day 2

I don't get much sleep. I don't get any sleep at all. I was on edge the entire night, my ears listening for any floorboard creaks or any doors opening. By the time the sun rose, I jumped out of bed to take a shower. My eyes keep peeking out from behind the shower curtain and glancing at those small cupboards beneath the sink.

Maybe I was hallucinating last night, but I don't want to check to see if I was. The water isn't as warm as I want it but it's enough. I change into my clothes, the floorboards creaking underneath me. I stand in front of the mirror and brush my hair the same way mom used to brush it.

I pin it back with some colourful clips before I gather my clothes and open the door. A shiver runs throughout my whole body when I come face to face with gran. My heart pounds in my chest as I hold onto the door.

"What were you doing in here last night?"

"Gran... I..." I need a few moments to collect my thoughts and calm my racing heart before thinking of something fast. "I was using the bathroom. I'm sorry if I woke you up." She nods her head, her eyes darting around the bathroom before she moves so I can walk to my room. I shut the door behind me and let out a breath.

I groan softly and start packing my clothes away. I take the picture of mom and I out and place it on the bedside table so I have something to look at. I'm already homesick and I genuinely want to go back. But what if that makes Gran sad?

No, I've got to pull myself together. No more snooping around. I'll just abide by her rules and spend another week or two before I go back home and sort everything out. But first, I need to continue cleaning this room.

Gran is downstairs making breakfast. At least, I thought she was but turns out she's reheating the food from last night for us to eat.

"Gran, the window in my room seems to be stuck." She places a plate of the meat food in front of me and I grab a fork. "Oh dear. I haven't been in that room for years, I apologize." Her hair is in rollers that rest atop her small head and she sits down on the chair opposite me, digging into her food. "No worries. I'm sure I can get it open somehow. In the meantime, would you mind if I cleaned up around here? Just something to keep myself busy with as I can't use my phone."

I don't want her to get the wrong impression and make it sound like her house is dirty. It is, but I don't want her to think that.

"Of course you may. But you don't have to if you don't want to."

I shake my head.

"It's not a problem, really."

And so after breakfast, I wash up while Gran sits in the living room and reads an old novel. I go up to my room and sweep it again before wiping all the surfaces. I decide I might as well unpack my clothes into the huge cupboard near the window. It takes a while for me to get it open but it opens and I almost retch at the smell. The window doesn't seem like it'll open and that's a disappointment.

As I crouch down to clean the inside of the cupboard, I stumble across a clutter of white things. Upon further inspection, I pick one up and realise it's a bone. There are a bunch of bones in the closet.

"I used to have a dog."

Gran's voice startles me. I forgot I left the door open to at least let the smell out.

"I used to give him all the bones from the meat and he used to stack them in the cupboard. He was a smart one, opening the cupboard himself and putting the bones there instead of burying them outside."

She huddles next to me and I smile. The thought of Gran having a dog is cute. Mom and I are huge cat lovers and we had many cats over the years. Gran bends down and I hear her joints crack before she gathers the rest of the bones.